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Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye

Date: Jan 12 2010

Themes: Friend, How To

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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See you later. Farewell. ‘Til we meet again. Ciao. In every language, there is more than one way to say goodbye. There are formal and informal, warmer and colder, shorter and longer types of goodbyes. But the hardest goodbyes come when you have to say goodbye forever to someone you care about. Anyone who has ever moved away, lived abroad, or gone to school in a different city has probably experienced at least one of these sad farewells.

Mason recently had to say goodbye to a close friend of his. Listen to him tell Beren how he dealt with it.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Beren

Beren

Mason:  I had a good friend move away recently, and I hate saying goodbye to friends when they’re gone for a long time.

Beren:  And why do you hate saying goodbye, just like the actual goodbye, like what do you say? Do you want it to be drawn out or quick and painless, or…

Mason:  Well, there’s kind of two kinds of goodbyes. There’s just like, “Hey, goodbye, I’ll see you sometime within a week or a month or whatever.” And then there’s the big send off, where it’s like I don’t know when the next time I’ll see you again…you know?

Beren:  That’s always hard because you need to make it special but you don’t want it to be too drawn out and not have it over with.

Mason:  Yeah. It’s mostly the big ones that I’m just terrible at.

Beren:  So did you guys have a farewell party?

Mason:  We did, we went out for drinks. But then that was awkward too because it was like all these other friends of this friend that I don’t know, so I didn’t get to feel like I had an intimate moment with this person to really like, you know…

Beren:  Say goodbye.

Mason:  Say what I wanted the way I wanted.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Recently, one of Mason’s good friends moved away. There was a goodbye party for him, but Mason felt like he didn’t have a chance to say a special farewell. Mason hates saying goodbye because he never knows what to say or how to say it.

Some goodbyes are easier to say. It’s not hard to say “See you later” to someone whom you know you’ll see again soon. But when you or someone you love leaves town for good, the goodbye gets more painful and complicated.

There are different ways to handle those tough goodbyes. Some people like to slip away without making a big fuss, while others like a long, drawn-out farewell. Some throw big going away parties and others try to have private, one-on-one goodbyes with each person they care about.

Have you ever had to say a difficult goodbye? What is the best way to say goodbye?

 

Comments

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rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

hasta luego !!!

09:20 AM Jan 13 2010 |

weazyhanad

Somalia

this word is the only way that you can say every person

10:11 PM Jan 12 2010 |

moctarellahi

Mauritania

hi

08:58 PM Jan 12 2010 |

Rosa Chandra

United States

When I was leaving my country I had to say goodbye to my parents, my sister and my brother and my friends. It was very difficult for me to say good bye to them, instead of saying good bye, I would rather like to say "see you again", I hate saying good bye.

08:50 PM Jan 12 2010 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 it `s hard for me to say good bye when i leave them                          specially who i love them .                        

07:46 PM Jan 12 2010 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

When i have to leave for long i usually have going away parties. Besides i can have one-on-one goodbyes with friends or relatives with whom we are not able for some reasons to meet on that parties.

07:21 PM Jan 12 2010 |

Setareh

Setareh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

last time that I participate in a going away party I saw lots of my friends trying to hide their tears!

06:42 PM Jan 12 2010 |

\_Luis_/

\_Luis_/

Brazil

i have never had to say goodbye to someone, even though lots of people that i know have left, i think they dind't really like me ,lol. but it's not a bad thing cause i don't know how to say goodbye to someone who is leaving forever so i don't really care.

06:16 PM Jan 12 2010 |

fitzjerald

fitzjerald

Philippines

 i hate saying good bye.:-(

05:14 PM Jan 12 2010 |

aliali_june

Viet Nam

I said goodbye to my best friends a year ago. She is my best friend when I have lived at here. She shared with me many things in life. I can tell anythings which I like or hate. But she  must go far for her studying. I do not know when I can meet her again. About 5 years or 10 years.. I do not know…And you know it is difficult to say goodbye to who you like in life. I did not say goodbye when meeting her last time. I only said that "My best friend, we will meet again. Take care and wish you all best things in your life. Always smile…"<!-Session data->

04:25 PM Jan 12 2010 |

kareena kapor

Saudi Arabia

goodbye

i said this word to my best friends

i hate to be far from my friends

04:06 PM Jan 12 2010 |

r ! f k i

r ! f k i

Indonesia

 

            why should we be sad on 'goodbye' ? it's 'a good bye', ain't it?

02:10 PM Jan 12 2010 |

miao1

miao1

China

i hate saing goodbye

01:33 PM Jan 12 2010 |

Crystal Eyes

Saudi Arabia

Wow .. it's really wonderful lesson ..So good it ..

01:32 PM Jan 12 2010 |

Futuristic

Futuristic

Philippines

Wow! I like the topic, well as for me it is not easy to say goobye  especially to someone who love you most like relatives, friends but you know we need to accept the fact that there is no permanent in this worid or let me say it is hard to say goodbye. Saying goodbye is painful and hard  and there are times when your special someone leaves you but that is life we need to accept it.

12:25 PM Jan 12 2010 |

clutchmann

clutchmann

Hungary

The more you love somebody the more you aren't able to say good bye without any pain. It is a real humanity. 

11:25 AM Jan 12 2010 |

Rahma MD

Rahma MD

Indonesia

The difficult farewell for me is when i have to move to other island in my country. I've assigned to work there.

It's just like i won't be near my family n friends anymore. I can go home once in a while, but can't stay there in a long period of time. It's really toreful. However, i realize life is like this. I prefer to make it quick. I mean i don't want to cry whole day and regret what we have decided. So,for me the best way to say it is don't say it … I just said "i'm going now, please pray me, i'll make a phone as soon as i arrive" though my heart cried.

09:54 AM Jan 12 2010 |

Dekler

Dekler

Kazakhstan

please visit your friends everywhere!)

don't waste time

09:31 AM Jan 12 2010 |

Rose Tran

Rose Tran

United Kingdom

Sometimes saying goodbye is hard, because we don't want to hurt people we care about. It's really difficult to choose what to say goodbye best, it depends on many different circumstances. The best way to say goodbye is probably "see you later". 

08:59 AM Jan 12 2010 |

julywidiawati

Indonesia

yes, I have to say good bye to my ex husband, and it was hard at the beginning, and then I have to say good bye every week to my daughters and mom, and than I have to say good bye forever to my daddy… the best to say good bye is -> good bye, but I'll make sure we'll meet again!

07:38 AM Jan 12 2010 |

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